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1. w, BRYCE.

SYNCHRONOUS CLOCK SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FlLED JUNEZ'L 1918. 1 310 781 lznmltud July 22, lJlJ.

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INVENTOR J. W. BRYCE.

SYNCHRONOUS CLOCK SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FiLED JUNE 22, I918.

Patented July 22, 1919.

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J. w. BRYCE.

SYNCHRONOUS C LOCK SYSTEM.

APPLICATION man JUNE 22,1918. 1,310,781. Patented July 22, 1919.

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All] 1 I 16 INVENTOR UuiT nsTATEs PATENT OFFICE.

1 AMES W. BRYCE, OF BINGHAMTON, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR T INTERNATIONAL TIMERECORDING COMPANY OF NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

SYNCH'RONOUS CLOCK SYSTEM.

Application filed June 22, 1918.

To (ZZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES W, BRYCE,

' a citizen of the United States. residing at signed to meet certainconditions which are encountered in the practical use of the same andwhich interfere with or impair their efi'iciency.

In explanation it may be stated that in a large manufacturing plantthere may be a plurality of recording mechanisms for printing orimpressing cards with the starting and finishing time of the jobs whichthe workmen are called upon to perform, and that each requires a clockmechanism which, to be of any value, must keep correct time. To securethis result I employ a master clock, the driving mechanism f which isrun either electrically from a constant source by -a spring or by aweight, and in conjunction therewith I employ a synchronous alternatingcurrent motor and generator, the latter of which is run by a directcurrent motor deriving its energy from any available source such as anordinary municipal power or lighting circuit.

The problem involved is to run the alternating current generator atareonstant and fixed speed, so that its alternations may be transmittedeither to synchronous motors at each recording device or other means forutilizing the alternations, and there used to run the clocks not only atthe same rate, but at a rate which will be exactly that of the masterclock. If the directcurrent from the main source were absolutelyuniform, the

accomplishment of this result would not be attended by any seriousdi'l'liculty, but such currents are subject to constant changes invalue, with the result that the direct current motor which drives thealternating genera tor is subject to constant changes in speed, which,of course. means that the rate of alternations is likewise subject tocorresponding change.

To avoid this the synchronous motor drives in the master clock one sideof a dif- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 22, 1919.

Serial No. 241,357.

ferential gear at a rate dependent upon the frequency of thealternations. The clock mechanism drives the other side of suchdifferential, and so long as both driving means are the same in resultno change takes place, but should the motor driven side of thedifferential run faster or slower than that of the clock then, by themeans hereinafter to be described, one or another circuit is closed thatthrows resistance into the armature circuit, or weakens the fieldmagnetization, or in any other known way infiuences the direct currentmotor causing it to run elther slower or faster, as the case 1 may be,so as to drive the alternating current generator at a more exactlyuniform rate.

In the drawings hereto annexed Ihave illustrated the master clock only,showing merely the circuit running from the alternating currentgenerator, with branches to the recording devices. The latter are notshown, because any well known form of instrument having time indicatingdisks from which impressions may be taken can be operated either bysynchronous motors or by the alternations from the generator in any wellunderstood and usual manner. The invention, in other words, is notconcerned with the recording devices, nor with the special manner inwhich these may be operated, but with the production and supply forrunning them of an alternating current of a fixed and uniform rate offrequency.

For this purpose Figure 1 is a diagram illustrating the system, moreparticularly the master clock and its relation thereto. In this figurethe differential is shown, not in its true position (which is in avertical plane at right angles to the position shown in the figure), butin longitudinal section in the vertical plane of the axis of thecentralshaft 7 of the movement, this being for the purpose of betterillustrating certain structural features of the movement as well ascertain circuit and contact arrangements. Fig. 2 is a front view inelevation of the master clock.

Fig. 3 is a horizontalsectional view of the same immediately above thedifferential.

Fig. 4 is a side view in elevation of the master clock, and

Figs. 5 and 6 are details of the differential. vThe diflerential is awell known device and in itself is not new. It comprises two gears, 1and 2, on sleeves 3 and 4,which are connected across at top or bottom orboth by gears 5. The latter are fixed to a. vertical hub 6, on thecentral shaft 7, which carries also the sleeves 3 and 4, and extendingfrom said hub is a contact arm .8.

It is sufiicient for present purposes to point out that if the gears 1and 2 rotate at exactly the same speed the hub and contact arm remainstationary, but should one of said gears rotate at a faster or slowerrate than the other, then the hub will be moved about the spindle orshaft 7.

Referring to Figs. 2 to 4, the clock mech anism 9, driven as aboveintimated by any suitable means, has a gear member 10, which engageswith a pinion 11'on a sleeve 12 on the spindle 7 and rotates the sleeveat a uniform and fixed rate. Intermediate to a disk 13 on sleeve 12 andthe gear wheel 2 is a magnetic clutch 14, which is adapted to beenergized by a current secured through brushes 15, bearing'on contactrings 16, and to thereby connect the clock driving mechanism with onesideof the dilferential.

' On the sleeve 3 is a pinion 17, which is engaged by a gear 18, drivenby a small synchronous motor 19, which, when supplied with current,rotates the other side of'the difierential. The above describedmechanism is substantially all that is required in the device exceptsuch means as are required for controlling and utilizing the currents.

Referring to Fig. 1,-the wires 20 are assumed to run from'any source ofdirect cur-' rent, it being assumed in this case that an alternatingcurrent source is not available.

Connected with this circuit is a direct current motor 21, the shuntfield circult being represented by 22. This circuit contains a circuitcontroller 23, and a resistance 24 around the contact 25 of saidcontroller. The main or armature circu t also contains 'a controller 26,and has a resistance 27v be understood most readily from-the followingdescription of operation: The direct current motor 21 drives analternating current generator 29, and the I current therefrom is led tothe synchronous 'm0tor' ,19. If the direct current is of thevproper'strength' and uniform, this motor 19 drives its half of thedifferential at the same 7 'motor 21 vary its speed then a.corresponding .var'iation'in the speed bf the gear 1' results i with aconsequent movement of the contact j which are largely diagrammatic,that-the arm. 8' is movedby'the difierential between the two contacts 30and 43, and that it is moved thereby into i engagement with {Soncontinueuntil the motor 21 has slowed down through wire '47, and backthroughwire34 tact 30. As a result current flows from one wire of thecircuit 20 by a suitable connec' 'tion 31 to the arm 8, thence bycont-act 30 through the pivoted 1e'ver32 to a stop 33, and through awire 34 including a magnet 35, and to a circuit controller 36, and stopthe niotor thereby called for, that is to slow it down} In the circuitof wire 34, is an electromagnet 38, which under the conditions'justdescribed becomes energized and attracts 'a lever 89 similar to lever 32over onto stop 40 connected by wire 41, including a magnet 42 with oneof the line wires 20. At this moment the lever 8 is in contact with thestop 30 and the range of movement of the lever 39 is not sufficient tobring it into contact with the arm 8. The conditions established by thecontact of arm 8 and stop-30 and the gear 1 rotates at the same speed asgear 2. The arm 8 therefore moves over to the right to neutral positionand comes in' contact with the stop 43 on lever 39. This establishes thecircuit from the main through magnet 42, wire 41, stop 40, level-.39,and

arm 8, back to line. The circuit controller 36 is thereby operated tobreak the circuit through the magnet 35, and in order that all sparkingmay be confined to the pointof separation of the controller 36 and stop37,

the following arrangement is provided:

The levers 32 and 39 have arms 44 with insulated ends to which lead wireconnections 45. The wire 34, for example, is always connected with theright hand arm 44. Under the arms 44 arecontact stops 46, connected bywire 47 with the side of the main circuit with which the arm 8 isconnected. Hence when, for example, the lever :39 is shifted by magnet38,its arm 44 is brought in contact with its stop Y46, and the circuitis maintained from one side of the main to line even after the contactbetweenthe arm 8 and the stop 3 0 has been broken. I

The description of the operation given above willmake it clear that asimilar action takes place. when the motor 21 runs too slow rate ofspeed as theclock drives the other half, and no action results, butshould the and the arm 8 is shifted onto contact 43, and 120 it will beseen that the function of the apparatus isto'keep the alternatingcurrent genera-tor 29runn1ng at'exactly constant speed. 3

This accomplished, its alternations havlng-a perfectly, uniform rate"may be used to move rality' of secondary clocks,- recording inecha-' Ilisms or the like. f 7

It will 'be observed that when no current Y is driving the motor 21, nocurrent is fur- 136.

its the hands andother mechanism of'a plucur-rent, of a direct currentmotor'operated thereby; means for varying its speed of rotation; analternating current generator driven by said motor; a synchronous motoroperated by said generator; a master clock; a differential operated bythe clock on the one hand and the synchronous motor on the other hand;circuits and circuit connections differential due to variations in therelative speed of the master clock and the synchronous motor; andmeansincluded in the thuscontrolled circuits for controlling the speedvarying devices of thedirect current motor whereby the s d of the lattermay be maintained uni orm, as and for the purposes stated.

2. A combination of elements such as specified in claim 1 in which thecircuits andcircnit connections are arranged to confine allfinalinterruptions ofcurrent to a point outside of the controllingapparatus. In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature.

I 4 JAMES W. BRYCE.

therein controlled by the operation of the e

